Kristin Gimbel
Language is often our first act of resistance.— DeRay Mckesson
Kristin is a possibility thinker driven to amplify individual and collective voices to co-create solutions for lasting impact. She listens to lead and helps clients disrupt the status quo.
Kristin approaches all facets of her work through an asset-based lens and is passionate about building the capacity of communities furthest from the opportunity to drive change. Much of her career has encompassed working with intercultural communities and those at the intersection of education, youth development, health, housing and social justice.
Her areas of expertise include:
- Intercultural community engagement with racially, geographically and socially diverse communities, including experience working with all of Oregon’s nine federally recognized sovereign nations
- Co-creation of communication and strategies for social impact that are rooted in cultural and regional context
- Development of inclusive cross-sector statewide coalitions to develop policy, drive system change and launch campaigns
- Organizational development, strategy and scaling
- Organizational naming and branding
- Public policy advocacy, issues management and crisis communications
Experience
Prior to her work at MG, Kristin had 15-plus years of experience spanning the public, private and nonprofit sectors—including more than a decade working in senior leadership roles for community based organizations and as a strategic communications, community engagement and policy maker for a state agency.
- Vice president of Strategy and Impact for EarlyWorks LLC, a social impact and strategic communications firm based in Detroit.
- Public Affairs director for the Chief Education Office and quasi-chief of staff to the education policy advisor to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
Kristin has a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and business from Indiana University and a certificate in nonprofit management from Stanford University. She is also a former Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).
In Community
Kristin is on the Board of Community Vision, an organization which supports Oregonians living with disabilities to live, work, and thrive in the communities of their choice. When not advancing social change, you’ll find her paddleboarding, running or tapping into culinary creativity. With two young sons, it is also possible she is playing superhero or attempting to break the world record for the tallest Lego tower.